Ponoko's List

You've probably heard about Ponoko, the New Zealand based personal manufacturing and marketplace service. You can not only have your item built with their facilities, but you can also mark your item for sale and others can have Ponoko build it for them, too. And you get paid for it!

One of the interesting twists to Ponoko's wide range of services is the ability to request a design. That's right, if you don't know how to design something, you can punch in a description of the desired object, post it on Ponoko and (hopefully) some inventive maker will stumble across your request and make it for you.

To see the list, simply sign on to Ponoko's site (you *do* have an id there, don't you?) and hit this link.  As of this writing, we see some USD$155,000 in items requested. The largest item is for a lamp clasp at USD$75,000 for 1,000 units. These prices might even be low, as the requester merely specifies the "ideal price per unit".

We're wondering if Fabbaloo readers with design skills are aware they might be able to pull in some extra cash for their ZCorp or Objet 3D printer savings fund by knocking off some of these requests.

Via Ponoko

The EBF3 Business Case

We wrote a few weeks ago about NASA's new EBF3 manufacturing process (Electron Beam FreeForm Fabrication), which uses a high-energy electron beam to melt raw metal (typically aluminum) and deposit it on a vacuum-encased rotating platform. Shiny round metal objects soon emerge.

Now we learn a bit more about the benefits of EBF3, which originally was intended for use on the International Space Station, where the intention is to print parts as you need them instead of rocketing up tons of spare parts at great expense that might never be required.

The real business case turns out to be in the aircraft industry. According to Science Daily a typical aircraft part might require milling of a 6,000 lb. chunk of titanium to reveal a 300 lb. part. With EBF3 you need only print 350 lbs. of raw part and trim off 50 lbs for finishing. That's a big saving in not only the titanium but also in the work effort, electrical power and cutting fluid.

It's not rapid prototyping; it's rapid manufacturing. How's that for a space spin-off?

Via Science Daily (Hat tip to Micah)
Image credit: NASA

Stratasys Reports 3Q09 Results

We like to follow Stratasys's financial results because as one of the major public companies involved in the 3D Printing and rapid prototyping space that issues financial reports, we believe we can get a feel for how most of the industry is doing.

This past quarter Stratasys reports revenue, shipment and income all lower than the same quarter in 2008. However, it's not all bad news, even though revenue was down 21%, shipments down 9% and income down by 57%. They are still profitable and still in business.

In the second quarter 2009, Stratasys's results were worse when comparing quarter over quarter: revenue was down 21%, shipments down 18% and income down by 79%. Things are slowly starting to improve.

We're sensing this is beginning to happen in a number of industries, not only 3D Printing. Everyone cross their fingers!

Via Reuters

3D Printing Market to Hit $782M by 2013?

A recent report by ABI research suggests that the 3D printing market could reach heights of almost USD$800M by 2013. Is this possible? We think so - and here's why:

• The number of applications of 3D printing continues to increase. We've seen medical, artistic, manufacturing and other uses appear simply due to the creativity of makers worldwide, and every time a new use appears, a new set of folks are aware of the potential
• 3D printing capabilities continue to expand. We've recently seen printing in metal, multiple colors, more robust materials and improved resolution and build times. These will only attract more uses
• Costs of 3D printing continue to decrease. We have not yet hit the magic "it's cheap and easy enough for Mom to have one at home" level yet, but that's clearly going to happen within a few years
• Open source / hackers are now fully on the problem and are building radically new solutions to problems in the space - and at very low cost

All of these factors are sure to generate expansion of the market, and we believe the USD$782M is likely achievable. But after that how high will it go?

Via Reuters

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